New Leaders in Academic Affairs

Dr. Clarenda Phillips, provost/vice president for academic affairs, joined us July 1. She recently shared her approach to academic leadership and why she says, “For me, it’s about showing up. It’s about investing in others and helping others live their dreams.”

Dave Richards, dean of the Libraries, joined us July 14. It was a homecoming for Richards, who first arrived at Missouri State in 1997. He recently told us, “My career thrived here. I’m so thankful to the people that helped me succeed then. Now, I want to give back to this team. I want them to thrive. I want to advocate for them so they have what they need to take off, and I can’t wait to brag about them.”

We’re excited that Dr. Johannes Strobel, new Graduate College dean, joins us August 18. Learn about Strobel and the experience he brings to this role.

On top of all this, we’re welcoming more than 70 new faculty members to campus this fall.

Need to Know

We’re PhDelighted

Last month, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an important piece of legislation. Thanks to the effort and advocacy of many people, Missouri State has the authority to independently offer Doctor of Philosophy degrees, beginning August 28.

Accreditation News

In March 2026, we’ll host peer reviewers from the Higher Learning Commission. We put together an FAQ to help you stay connected to this process.

Campus Construction

Many of our colleagues are navigating construction-related inconveniences with grace and good humor. Last month, Mark Wheeler, university architect and director of planning, design and construction, filled us in on the status of various projects.

Learn About ATLAS

ATLAS, a new platform to support student success, rolls out September 1. We chatted with Dr. Kelly Wood, associate provost for student success, about what to expect.

Friendly How-tos

In case you’ve ever wondered how to file a maintenance request or surplus office furniture, we put together this friendly how-to guide for some commonly requested processes.

Quotable

Just a handful of our favorite quotes from the summer:

• “We’re helping deliver the highest level of health care, tied to the highest level of education in service of our community.” —Dr. Mark Smith, dean of the McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS), on doctoral-level degree programs in MCHHS
• “As a team, we decided: We don’t say ‘no.’ And we’ve held up to that standard.” —Dr. Egon Heidendal, associate provost for institutional effectiveness (IE), reflecting on his first year in the revamped IE
• “Our faculty and staff have been where these men and women want to go. We exist to help them reach their goals.” —John Rose, director of the School of Defense and Strategic Studies, on the professional Doctor of Defense and Strategic Studies program
• “We think about education in a holistic way so that we’re all working together in service of our community.” —Dr. Barri Tinkler, dean of the College of Education, on the Doctor of Education in Leadership, Learning and Educational Change
• “There is a lot of uncertainty within the Peace Corps, such as where you will be placed, where you will be working, what you will be doing at work, who you will be working with, what your host family will be like and sometimes, even what country you will be placed in. All of these things essentially force you to be adaptable; otherwise, I’m not sure you would be able to succeed… Once you arrive at your site, you just have to jump in and try your best to help.” —Alumnus Patrick Ladd, who shared his Peace Corps experience in our recent story about the Peace Corps Prep certificate